Silicon Valley startup Bloom Energy just unveiled its new, heavily hyped technology, which harnesses chemical reactions to create energy. Here's how it works

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Bloom Energy's invention converts air and nearly any fuel source -- ranging from natural gas to a wide range of biogases -- into electricity via a clean electrochemical process, rather than dirty combustion. Even running on a fossil fuel, the systems are approximately 67% cleaner than a typical coal-fired power plant, explains the company.

(Nicki Dugan/Bloom Energy)

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A fuel cell is like a battery that always runs. It consists of three parts: an electrolyte, an anode, and a cathode. For a solid-oxide fuel cell, the electrolyte is a solid ceramic material.

(Bloom Energy)

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The anode and cathode are made from special "inks" that coat the electrolyte. Unlike other types of fuel cells, no precious metals, corrosive acids, or molten materials are required.

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In a fuel cell, an electrochemical reaction converts fuel and air into electricity, without combustion.

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A solid oxide fuel cell is a high-temperature fuel cell. At high temperatures, warmed air enters the cathode side of the fuel cell....

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... and steam mixes with fuel to produce reformed fuel, which enters on the fuel cell's anode side.

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As the reformed fuel crosses the anode, it attract oxygen ions up from the cathode (see here as light blue circles).

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Those oxygen ions combine with the reformed fuel to produce electricity, water, and a small amount of carbon dioxide.